Strain‐Induced Reduction of Centrosymmetry in Rare‐Earth Iron Garnet Thin Films

Abstract Rare‐earth iron garnets (RIG, R3Fe5O12) are insulating ferrimagnets with high inversion symmetry because of their centrosymmetric cubic crystal structure. However, this high centrosymmetry can be reduced by introducing a non‐uniform strain, leading to a tetragonally distorted lattice struct...

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Main Authors: EMK Ikball Ahamed, Hiroyasu Yamahara, Md Shamim Sarker, Haining Li, Kazuo Morikawa, Kohei Yamagami, Masaki Kobayashi, Munetoshi Seki, Hitoshi Tabata
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2025-06-01
Series:Advanced Electronic Materials
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400735
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author EMK Ikball Ahamed
Hiroyasu Yamahara
Md Shamim Sarker
Haining Li
Kazuo Morikawa
Kohei Yamagami
Masaki Kobayashi
Munetoshi Seki
Hitoshi Tabata
author_facet EMK Ikball Ahamed
Hiroyasu Yamahara
Md Shamim Sarker
Haining Li
Kazuo Morikawa
Kohei Yamagami
Masaki Kobayashi
Munetoshi Seki
Hitoshi Tabata
author_sort EMK Ikball Ahamed
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Rare‐earth iron garnets (RIG, R3Fe5O12) are insulating ferrimagnets with high inversion symmetry because of their centrosymmetric cubic crystal structure. However, this high centrosymmetry can be reduced by introducing a non‐uniform strain, leading to a tetragonally distorted lattice structure. In this study, the strain‐induced lattice distortions and symmetry‐breaking features are investigated in compressively strained Sm3Fe5O12 and tensile‐strained Lu3Fe5O12 thin films around critical thicknesses. Experiments indicate that tensile strain prevents the in‐plane epitaxy from relaxing, whereas compressive strain leads to easy relaxation after reaching a critical threshold triggered by misfit dislocations. A non‐zero orbital moment, a more than tenfold increase in coercivity, and an increase in Gilbert damping near the critical thickness indicate a reduction of spatial inversion symmetry without forming any misfit dislocations. It is speculated that strain energy in uniformly strained epitaxial thin films has been partially released when the thickness reached about the critical thickness. The proposed strain‐mediated reduction of centrosymmetry may pave the way to achieve controllable magneto‐dynamics in dislocation‐free tensile strained RIG thin films.
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spelling doaj-art-e38c5a1dd01c42c9907fae689009f32b2025-08-20T02:24:22ZengWiley-VCHAdvanced Electronic Materials2199-160X2025-06-01118n/an/a10.1002/aelm.202400735Strain‐Induced Reduction of Centrosymmetry in Rare‐Earth Iron Garnet Thin FilmsEMK Ikball Ahamed0Hiroyasu Yamahara1Md Shamim Sarker2Haining Li3Kazuo Morikawa4Kohei Yamagami5Masaki Kobayashi6Munetoshi Seki7Hitoshi Tabata8Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 113‐8656 JapanDepartment of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 113‐8656 JapanDepartment of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 113‐8656 JapanDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 113‐8656 JapanDepartment of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 113‐8656 JapanJapan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) 1‐1‐1 Kouto Sayo Hyogo 679‐5198 JapanDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 113‐8656 JapanDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 113‐8656 JapanDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo‐ku Tokyo 113‐8656 JapanAbstract Rare‐earth iron garnets (RIG, R3Fe5O12) are insulating ferrimagnets with high inversion symmetry because of their centrosymmetric cubic crystal structure. However, this high centrosymmetry can be reduced by introducing a non‐uniform strain, leading to a tetragonally distorted lattice structure. In this study, the strain‐induced lattice distortions and symmetry‐breaking features are investigated in compressively strained Sm3Fe5O12 and tensile‐strained Lu3Fe5O12 thin films around critical thicknesses. Experiments indicate that tensile strain prevents the in‐plane epitaxy from relaxing, whereas compressive strain leads to easy relaxation after reaching a critical threshold triggered by misfit dislocations. A non‐zero orbital moment, a more than tenfold increase in coercivity, and an increase in Gilbert damping near the critical thickness indicate a reduction of spatial inversion symmetry without forming any misfit dislocations. It is speculated that strain energy in uniformly strained epitaxial thin films has been partially released when the thickness reached about the critical thickness. The proposed strain‐mediated reduction of centrosymmetry may pave the way to achieve controllable magneto‐dynamics in dislocation‐free tensile strained RIG thin films.https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400735ferrimagnetic insulatorsinversion symmetry breakingnon‐zero orbital momentsspin dynamicstetragonal distortion
spellingShingle EMK Ikball Ahamed
Hiroyasu Yamahara
Md Shamim Sarker
Haining Li
Kazuo Morikawa
Kohei Yamagami
Masaki Kobayashi
Munetoshi Seki
Hitoshi Tabata
Strain‐Induced Reduction of Centrosymmetry in Rare‐Earth Iron Garnet Thin Films
Advanced Electronic Materials
ferrimagnetic insulators
inversion symmetry breaking
non‐zero orbital moments
spin dynamics
tetragonal distortion
title Strain‐Induced Reduction of Centrosymmetry in Rare‐Earth Iron Garnet Thin Films
title_full Strain‐Induced Reduction of Centrosymmetry in Rare‐Earth Iron Garnet Thin Films
title_fullStr Strain‐Induced Reduction of Centrosymmetry in Rare‐Earth Iron Garnet Thin Films
title_full_unstemmed Strain‐Induced Reduction of Centrosymmetry in Rare‐Earth Iron Garnet Thin Films
title_short Strain‐Induced Reduction of Centrosymmetry in Rare‐Earth Iron Garnet Thin Films
title_sort strain induced reduction of centrosymmetry in rare earth iron garnet thin films
topic ferrimagnetic insulators
inversion symmetry breaking
non‐zero orbital moments
spin dynamics
tetragonal distortion
url https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400735
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